Creepers - even jeepers want to end abuse of the Rubicon Trail

Environmentalists have been joined by traditional jeepers in calling for an end to the out-of-control use and abuse of the Rubicon Trail.

This county road - arguably the most famous four-wheel-drive (4x4) trail in the world - is the source of a million cubic yards of soil that has eroded into streams and lakes on Eldorado National Forest. Oil and transmission fluid also find their way into the environment because vehicles often suffer damage to their oil pans, differentials, and transmissions when negotiating boulder-strewn sections of the Trail.

After six years of preparation, Eldorado County has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Rubicon Trail Master Plan (RTMP).

The trail dates back to the 1800s, when it stretched from Georgetown to Lake Tahoe. Today the trail runs from near Wentworth Springs to near Tahoma on Lake Tahoe's northwest shore, but today many 4x4 users access the Trail from Loon Lake via the Ellis Creek Trail.

In winter the paved road to Loon Lake is plowed only to the first dam. The additional mile of unplowed pavement up to the second dam, where the Ellis Creek Trail actually begins, forms the popular Polaris ski and snowshoe route, but is routinely rutted by 4x4 users in winter.

Snowlands Network and the Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation are leading the effort to ensure that the Master Plan contains adequate measures to ensure restoration of the Trail and a halt to motorized use during the wet season (fall through spring), when most erosion occurs.

Historically, the Rubicon Trail was traveled using 4x4s, either stock or slightly modified. These traditional users have been displaced by non-street-legal 4x4s customized to navigate the increasingly difficult route caused by erosion and purposeful changes. These vehicles, some called rock crawlers for their ability to essentially crawl up a rock face, have displaced traditional uses and are turning the trail into an extreme-off-road-vehicle park. At the Sep. 20 meeting of the state Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, environmentalists were joined by traditional jeepers in speaking out against the madness of radical jeepers who have taken over the Trail. This unusual alliance highlights the extremeness of those who are abusing the Trail.

The DEIR and RTMP analyze three alternatives.

• Alternative A would go a long way toward halting the damage. It would provide the most management, maintenance, and monitoring, and implement mitigation measures to eliminate all "significant impacts".
• Alternative B is unacceptable because its limited management and monitoring would leave 29 "significant and unavoidable" impacts.
• The No Action alternative would perpetuate the current situation.

Positive aspects of Alternative A include the following:

• In winter, the unplowed section of paved road between the Loon Lake Chalet and the second dam will be closed to motor vehicles. The Polaris ski-and-snowshoe trail can again be safe for muscle-powered recreationists.
• During wet conditions from Nov. 1 through April 30 the county is supposed to close the Rubicon Trail "if erosion could occur". We would prefer a definite mandate for closure for this whole time period.
• The Little Sluice Box section of the Trail will be restored to early 1990s conditions. This will facilitate the use of slightly modified stock 4x4s on the Trail. Any tampering with trail conditions, e.g. the rolling of boulders into the road to make the route more challenging, would result in closure of the trail until the changes are reversed.

The DEIR and RTMP have shortcomings, however.

• The documents do not include restoration as a goal. The plan includes no actions to repair erosion. The Trail needs extensive engineering, design, and reconstruction that may cost millions. In particular, to reduce damage to vehicles and the resultant release of hazardous materials, the Trail must be returned to a condition allowing slightly modified stock 4x4s to travel the road.
• A quota system is needed for preventing over-use of the Trail, including camping in non-designated areas. All human waste must be removed to end unsanitary conditions.
• Non-street legal vehicles should be prohibited from the Trail. The trail is a county road where all motor-vehicle regulations should be met.

WhatYouCanDo

Comments on the DEIR and RTMP must be sent, no later than Nov. 26, to:

Airport, Parks, and Grounds Division
Attn: Jordan Postlewait, ASLA
Manager Airport, Parks, and Grounds
3000 Fairlane Court, #1
Placerville, CA 95667
jordan.postlewait@edcgov.us

The environmental community must go all out to counter the letter-writing blitz that will come from the OHV community promoting Alternative B.

The entire plan is available online

Marcus Libkind, Snowlands Network

Snowlands Network

Snowlands Network promotes opportunities for quality human-powered winter recreation and protects winter wildlands.

The organization is currently seeking volunteer gurus for computer software and electronics to aid in the design of a remote sensor for monitoring snowmobile use.

For additional information about Snowlands Network in general or to volunteer, contact:

Snowlands Network
P.O. Box 2570
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530)265-6424
www.snowlands.org
elapham -at- snowlands.org